3 Things You Should Know About Small Business: May 1

1. This startup wants to buy your old cell phone. San Diego startup EcoATM has created a business around purchasing used mobile devices. The company operates a network of kiosks that will allow customers to trade in their used devices for cash, in-store credit or gift cards. EcoATM then resells the devices to the refurbishing market or recycles them, according to Fortune.

EcoATM's business has attracted investors, including the business it has modeled itself after -- Coinstar (CSTR) . Fortune says Coinstar participated in EcoATM's $14.4 million Series A round early last year. It is also participating in a second round that is being announced today, according to the article.

So which products have been the most popular to resell to EcoATM? Apple (APPL) , of course, which has the highest resale value, followed by RIMM(RIMM) and Android devices.

2. Grow your business on Facebook. Attend Constant Contact's (CTCT) webinar on how to grow your business via Facebook and get a $25 credit to advertise on the social media site. The webinar takes place on Wednesday, May 2 at 1pm EST. It will feature Facebook's head of Global SMB Marketing Chris Luo and Constant Contact's general manager of social media Mark Schmulen.

The webinar will showcase examples of small businesses and nonprofits that have been able to drive revenue through their Facebook marketing efforts.

3. Creative marketing ideas for Mother's Day. The first of May means Mother's Day is right around the corner -- a big consumer spending holiday. Outright offers a few marketing suggestions for businesses via the company's blog.

Look to create a Mother's Day infographic to share valuable information that will bring in traffic to your store or website. The more interesting the graphic, the better chance you have of it going viral, which can translate into a business boom. If you don't have design skills, Outright suggests looking into Elance or Odesk or get someone to create one for you.

These days, there's no better place to market your business for Mother's Day than on Pinterest. Use the site to build traffic for your business by either pinning your products in an interesting and unique way, pinning the infographic you created, becoming an active member of the Pinterest community by liking or repining other people's selections, or create a Mother's Day-specific board.

Be sure to create an email marketing campaign, alerting customers of your offerings. The campaign should be an email series using a passive marketing strategy by sharing inspirational Mother's Day stories, quotes and/or experiences to leave them feeling warm and fuzzy. It is only in the last of the email series that your products or services should be showcased for sale.